Doggy Spirituality

The central idea of this topic comes from a sermon I had heard a few years ago. The reflection was on St. Peter and his response to the call of Jesus. St. Peter was an impulsive man who would make decisions at the spur of the moment without really thinking over it or going over the pros and cons. In terms of his outlook towards spirituality, he would resemble more of a dog. Why do I say that?

Have you ever noticed the way a dog approaches a strange object? Now compare it to a cat. Most dogs that I have noticed instantly react to a strange object placed in front of them by pouncing on it and then exploring it. On the other hand, in my experiences of what a cat does (of which, unfortunately, I have little because I have a strong dislike towards cats) is that they tend to examine the strange object from a far and then pounce on it only after judging it to be safe. In both cases, there are a few expectations but the general concept remains.

In our post-modern corporate world today, people with a cat-like mentality are preferred over others. The successful people are those who analyze a situation before acting on it. All others are considered irrational. However, in the case of God, the dog-like mentality is lauded. When God calls us to be with Him, He expects (I would imagine) an instant reply that has not been analyzed. This, I would think, is what we all faith. Nevertheless, once we have impulsively replied we can look and analyze the various signs attached to our calling. This is what we call the process of discernment. It helps in rooting and deepening the response and conviction that is ours.

Another important observation of a dog-like mentality that makes it a preferred way for spirituality is its steadfastness. What do I mean? Ever notice how a dog responds to a sudden snap of a finger? Now compare it to the cat. What I detected was that the dog looked intently and confidently in the direction of the sound and seemed completely alert and focused. However, the cat responded similarly, but only for a short span of time before it took to its heels and fled. Taking cue from the dog, we can see that if our faith is rooted in God, then we will receive the strength to face the difficulty head-on rather than flee from it like the cat.

Form these two brief reflections we see that a ‘doggy’ spirituality helps us respond better to God’s calling and stay rooted in our faith in Him as compared to the ‘catty’ spirituality. Nevertheless, the choice is set before us to choose. What is our decision?